Entries in kalaheo
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i dare say i have not been this excited about a new collection in quite some time. malie, the kaua'i company best known for their island scented offerings and pampering body treatments, recently welcomed a gorgeous new resort wear collection made to woo island lovelies far and wide.

a sampling of malie's thoughtful design details: a palette of ocean blues reminiscent of the pacific, an eco-friendly organic cotton/bamboo jersey knit chosen for its comfort in the tropics, and playful patterns featuring modern interpretations of island sea life (the i'a print above is inspired by our state fish).

the tunics, convertible skirts, maxi gowns (ombre alert!), and fluttery wraps are simply too pretty to describe so let's have a look at a few of the beauties from malie's debut collection after the jump!

hanalei tako & ombre

makani wrap * waikiki ombre

{swoon}

lucky for us malie founder dana roberts turned her daydreams of effortless island chic wearables into a fetching real life wardrobe for the rest of us to covet and call our own.

the capsule collection is happily made in the usa which officially ticks all the boxes on my elusive wishlist (pretty + sustainable + produced in the states = style trifecta . . . hooray!).

peek the entire collection in the online shop (fyi: complimentary shipping on orders over $100) or pop into a malie boutique to admire in person:

eileen from vallejo, lehua from waimea & merissa from honolulu! malie organics' pikake body polish will be on its way to all three lucky ladies to bliss out over the sweetly scented spa treat.

mahalo to all who tried their luck and for all the delightful notes that accompanied your entries. since pikake is beloved by so many, i thought i would post a glimpse of the full pikake collection so you can preview all the possibilities for your malie wishlist.

on that note, you can find the collection online (priced from $28 to $69) and at malie's flagship boutique on kaua'i and its california outpost in the lovely seaside town of san clemente.

and, of course, at malie's extensive network of island, mainland and international stockists. japan friends also have their very own online shop.

congratulations eileen, lehua & merissa!

p.s. the star-advertiser just shared tips on growing pikake in this week's garden section. not only was pikake princess kaiulani's favorite flower, it is also drought-resistant and ideal for leeward gardens just in case you have a nice, sunny spot to plant the petite blossoms.

pikake is one of my all time favorite scents and instantly transports me home whenever a hint of its lovely blossom is nearby. back in the day when family and friends could still wish you farewell at the airport gate, my pikake lei would console me on the trip back to the mainland and slowly wither away around a door knob until its enchanting perfume faded away.

happily, our friends at malie organics on kaua'i have always understood just how prized the delicate flower is to both kama'aina and far away friends. over the summer, the malie 'ohana launched their organic pikake collection, and to celebrate malie is gifting three (yes, three!) lucky readers with a luxurious, organic pikake body polish (retail: $45) starring hawaiian sugar; organic jojoba, castor and extra virgin coconut oils; and vitamin e to reveal your skin's hidden glow.

label readers will also appreciate malie's commitment to organic and wildcrafted ingredients, plus the body polish is free of parabens and other synthetic surprises.

longtime readers may recall my mission to switch over to organic beauty products as empty bottles of questionable formulations find their way to the recycling bin. commercial perfumes have always triggered a headache for me so i am always on the lookout for fragrances made by nature rather than a chemical factory in new jersey.

that phthalates (common in most personal care products) may be a hormone disrupter only confirms my suspicions that au naturale is the better way to go when it comes to potions that will be absorbed by your body.

malie kauai recently added an organic perfume to its growing roster of spa products inspired by the floral abundance of the garden isle. two scents made their debut - beautify, a combination of pikake and rose that evokes one of the earliest blends in ancient alchemy, and relax for those of us who swoon for the coconut and vanilla pairing required in any warm beachy fragrance.

all the elements that combine to create malie's organic therapy perfume are indigenous to the islands and were either organically cultivated or wildcrafted from local rainforests. another bonus, the chemical and alcohol free perfume is bottled in a roll on applicator which allows you to pinpoint the fragrance on all the right pulse points.